Wetherbee Elementary

Wetherbee Elementary in Orlando, FL, is a large, high-performing public school serving 939 students in grades PK through 5, part of the Orange district, and has a strong track record of academic excellence.

Wetherbee stands out from nearby schools with its consistent top-tier performance, earning a 4-star rating from Schooldigger.com for the past five years and ranking in the 76th percentile among all Florida elementary schools. It outperforms the district and state averages in every subject and grade level tested, a rare achievement. For example, in 3rd grade math, Wetherbee scored 75% proficiency compared to the district's 67% and state's 66%, and in 5th grade science, it reached 71% versus the state's 60%. This is a stark contrast to nearby schools like Waterbridge Elementary (2-star, 42nd percentile) and John Young Elementary (2-star, 42nd percentile), which struggle to meet district averages. Even compared to the top-performing charter in the area, Pinecrest Preparatory Charter (5-star, 90th percentile), Wetherbee achieves excellent results with a much larger student body and comparable spending efficiency.

Wetherbee also excels in student attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 21.5% that is significantly lower than the district (35.2%) and state (31.4%) averages, and it has been steadily improving. The school serves a relatively affluent student body, with only 30.56% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, which is lower than nearby peers like Southwood Elementary (47.61%) and Sally Ride Elementary (63.66%). Notably, Wetherbee's per-student spending of $10,309 is the lowest among its nearby public school peers, yet it achieves superior outcomes, suggesting efficient use of resources. This remarkable turnaround from a 3-star school in 2015-2019 to a consistent 4-star performer highlights effective leadership and teaching strategies that have produced lasting results.